When a baby princess is born to King Stefan and his queen, the entire kingdom rejoices. At a ceremony, three good fairies - Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather - bestow gifts of magic on the child. But an evil sorceress, Maleficent, shows up, and because of a rude remark by Merryweather, she curses the princess - named Aurora - to die before sunset on her 16th birthday when she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle. Thankfully, Merryweather turns things around by weakening the curse so if Aurora pricked her finger, she would not die, but only sleep until true love's kiss awakened her. The fairies take Aurora to a woodcutter's cottage in the woods to keep her away from the eyes of Maleficent, and raise her as their own child, named Briar Rose. On her 16th birthday, Aurora meets Prince Phillip, a king's son whose own kingdom will soon merge with King Stefan's - and falls in love. Maleficent's horrible prophecy is fulfilled when she lures Aurora to prick her finger on the spindle, then Aurora falls into a deep sleep. Maleficent captures Prince Phillip. Realizing that the Prince is in trouble, the three good fairies head to Maleficent's castle at the Forbidden Mountain. But the Prince soon finds himself up against Maleficent's army of brutes, and the power of Maleficent's evil spells - which include a thorn forest and a fight against Maleficent when she turns herself into a dragon.